Apparatus for the continuous production of hard soap in strings or pieces



March 16 1926. 1,577,239 I H. LANDGRAF- APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF HARD SOAP IN STRINGS OR PIECES Filed August :3, 1925 Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,577,239 PATENT OFFlCE.

HERMANN LANDGRAF, F WASUNGEN, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF HARD SOAP IN STRINGS OR PIECES.

Application filed AugustB,v 1925. Serial No. 47,880.

the Continuous Production of Hard Soap in Strings or Pieces (for which an application for patent has been made in Germany on June 22, 1922), of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus forthe continuous production of hard soaps, especially grained soap. According to the invention a cooling chamberis directly connected with the compression-pipe which is cooled by water circulation, said cooling chamber being enclosed by the refrigerant chamber of a refrigerating machine and cooled to a low freezing degree by the ammonia vapours from a brine which fills the refrigerant chamber and circulates. The

cooling chamber is preferably of rectangular cross section so that it has aconsiderably enlarged surface and a greater capacity than the compression pipe. A further result of this arrangement is that the soap mass forced out of the compression pipe travels at slowed speed through the cold cooling chamber and is consequently supercooled so as to set in solid hard condition before the string' of soap coming from the cooling chamber is cut into bars or cakes by the cutting mechanism of known type arranged at the delivery end of the cooling chamber.

The water-cooled compression pipe for the. soap mass, in which the conveying worm is located, and the cooling chamber which is thoroughly cooled by the refrigerating machine, are situated in alignment so that the soap string is not deflected in its travel from the compression pipe to and through the cooling chamber.

The circulation 'of the brine, which fills the refrigerant chamber, is produced by a pipe conduit terminating inside the refrigerant chamber at either end of the same and having in its entrance end a mechanically driven conveying device for the brine. The

pump .and condenser of the refrigerating machine are preferably arranged above the refrigerant chamber in close proximity to the same, and in order to prevent loss the tubular connection is as short as possible. The compressor of the refrigerating machine is driven at variable speed in comparison with the compression pump for the soap mass, in accordance with the degree of cooling desired. This apparatus for the ,manufacturing' of hard soaps, especially grained soaps, presents in comparison with thecommonly used stringpresses consider able advantages.

The string presses of the commonly used type have also cooling jackets but they are cooled only by cooled water, the soap mass conveyed by the string press was therefore not sufficiently cooled and special drying chambers Were required in which the soap cut into bars had to be dried prior to being pressed into the desired shapes. This arrangement necessitated comparatively eX- pensive and bulky plants and caused expenses for the transport to and from the drying chambers.

Accordingto the invention the soap string in the cooling space or chamber adjacent to the compression pipe is cooled by the brine circulating in the refrigerant chain-- her and cooled to 10 to 15 cold by the.

ammonia vapours which flow through the serpentine tube, so that it becomes quite hardand can be cut into bars by a cutting -mechanism as soon as it is delivered from the cooling space and pressed at once into moulds. Neither drying chambers nor conveying to and from the drying chambers are necessary and much time is saved.

An embodiment of the invention is shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 shows the apparatus in side elevation, partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through the refrigerant chamber, the cooling chamber and the ammonia serpentine or coil.

. The soap pump 1 forces the soap mass, which is sucked in or supplied in any other manner, through a tube 2 into the compression pipe 3 in which a compressing worm-4 advances the soap mass. The compression pipe is surrounded by a water cooling serpentine or coil 5 to which the cooling water is supplied at 6 and flows out at 7. The worm 4 is preferably driven from the soap pump 1 by belt drive 8, 9. The compression pipe 3 terminates in a cooling chamber 10. This cooling chamber is of considerably greater cross section than the compression pipe and preferably of rectangular cross section so that'it presents large outer surfaces or cooling surfaces and it is situated in the refrigerant chamber 11 of a refrigerating machine which comprises with the refrigerant chamber 11, a compressor 12 and a serpentine pipe or coil 13 for extracting the heat from the brine or other refrigerant and a condenser 14 for the ammonia circulated through the serpentine or coil 13. The refrigerating plant is of the type commonly used in ice making machines. It is however directly connected with the cooling chamber 10 by short pipes 15, 16, the loss resulting from long connecting pipes being thus avoided. The space in the refrigerant chamber is filled with brine, which is cooled to 10 to 15 C. below zero by the ammonia circulating through the serpentine or coil In order to make the brine circulate in the refrigerant chamber 11 a pipe conduit 17 is arranged in the same extending from the one end of the refrigerant chamber 11 to the other end of the same. In this pipe conduit 17 a conveying device 18 for the brine, as for instance a helical wheel, is arranged which is preferably driven from the driving shaft 20 of the compressor 12 by a cord pulley 19. By means of this conveying device 18 in the pipe conduit 17 the brine 1s permanently circulated so that it is umformly cooled by the serpentine 13 (ammoniac conduit Tlie soap mass forced out by the worm 4 from the compression pi e enters into the cooling chamber 10 whic is in alignment with the compression pipe. As this cooling chamber has a considerably greater cross section than the compression pipe the soap mass advances slowly in the cooling chamber 10, is thoroughly cooled by the circulat ing brine and thus hardened and arrives finally as a string of soap 1O at the cutting mechanism 21 at the end of the cooling chamber to be cut into. bars. Owing to the thoroughcooling the soap is hard and can be pressed into the moulds directly when it comes out of the cooling chamber, no storing for drying being necessary.

According to the season the cold degrees in the refrigerating machine will vary as in the summer season the cold must be greater than in the winter season. Consequently the driving gear forthe compressor will preferably be made variable as regards speed.

The apparatus described and shown reuires cleaning only of the preliminary rerigerator, e. g., of the compression pipe 3. A shutting oil slide 22 will therefore be inserted between the compression pipe and the cooling chamber 10 so that during cleaning the cooling chamber may be shut off from the compression pipe. By means of a suitable cock 23 steam water may be pumped in or out for cleaning thecompression pipe 3,

the feed pump 1 running idle. The brine is admitted into the refrigerant chamber or withdrawn from the same by suitable inlets 24 and outlets 25.

I claim 1. An apparatus for the continuous production of soap comprising, a compression pipe, means for cooling said pipe, and means for impelling the fluent soap mass through said pipe, in combination with a cooling chamber receiving fluent soap therefrom, said chamber being of much greater cross-sectional area than said pipe, whereby the soap mass travels lengthwise of said chamber at a relatively greater slower rate than it does in said pipe, a refrigerant chamber surrounding said cooling chamber, means for circulating the refrigerant in said refrigerant chamber, circulating means for extracting the heat absorbed from the soap mass from the refrigerant, and means for cutting the soap into bars as it emerges from said cooling chamber in a supercooled hard solid state. 2. An apparatus for the continuous production o soa comprising, a compression pipe, means or cooling said pipe, and

means for impelling the fluent soap mass through said pipe, in combination with a cooling chamber receiving fluent soap therefrom, said chamber being of much greater cross-sectional area than said pipe, whereby the soap mass travels lengthwise of said chamber at a relatively greatly diminished rate than it does in said ipe, a refrigerant chamber surrounding sai cooling chamber, means for circulating the refrigerant in said refrigerant chamber, and means for cutting the soap into bars as it emer es from said cpoling chamber in a supercoo ed hard solid s ate.

3. An'aipparatus for the continuous production o soap comprisin a compression ipe, means for-cooling sai pipe, and means or impelling the fluent soap mass through said pipe, in combination with a cooling chamber receiving fluent soa therefrom, said chamber bein non-circular in crosssection to provi e increased radiating capacity for a given size of chamber, and being of much greater cross-sectional area than said pipe, whereby the soap mass will travel at a greater rate of speed in said pipethan in said chamber, a refrigerant chamber surrounding said cooling chamber, means for circulating the refrigerant in said refrigerant chamber, and means for cutting the soap into bars as it emerges from said :poflng chamber in a supercooled hard solid 4. An apparatus for the continuous production of soap comprising, a compression pipe, means for cooling said pipe, and means or impelling the fluent -soap mass through said pipe, in combination with a cooling duction of soa chamber receiving fluent soap therefrom, said chamber being of much greater crosssectional area than said pipe, whereby the soap mass will travel at a greater rate of speed in said pipe than in said chamber, a refrigerant chamber surrounding said cooling chamber, and means for cutting the soap into bars as it emerges in a continuous string from said cooling chamber in a hard solid state.

5. An apparatus for the continuous procomprising, a compression pipe, means or cooling said pipe, and means for impelling the fluent soap mass through said cooling chamber receiving the fluent soap mass therefrom, said chamber being of much greater cross-sectional area than said pipe, whereby the soap mass will travel at a greater speed in sa1d pipe than in said chamber, and a refrigerant chamber surrounding said cooling chamber.

6. An agaparatus for the continuous production o soap comprising, a compression pipe, and means for impelling the fluent pipe, in combination with a being of much greater cross-sectional area than said pipe, and a refrigerant chamber surrounding said cooling chamber.

7. An apparatus for the continuous production o pipe, means or cooling said pipe, an impeller for forcing the fluent soap mass through said pipe, and means for driving said impeller, in combination with a cooling chamber receiving the fluent soap mass from said pipe and being of much greater cross-sectional area than said pipe, au'efrigerant chamber surrounding said cooling chamber, circulating means for ei jracting the heat absorbed from the soap mass by the refrigerant therefrom, and an impeller for driving said circulating means, said soap impeller and said circulating means impeller being adapted-to be driven at varying relative speeds.

In testimony whereof I aflix my-signature.

HERM. LANDGRAF.

soa comprising a compression 

